Jada Pinkett Smith “considered” taking her own life

The 46-year-old actress - who has son Jaden, 19, and daughter Willow, 17, with her husband Will Smith - has admitted she previously spent time battling with her mental health and contemplated suicide “often”

14 June 2018

Jada - who was inspired to speak out following the tragic deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain - wrote on Instagram: “One thing I’ve learned in my life over the years is that mental health is something we should practice daily, not just when issues arise. We should take care of our mind and spirit in the same way we do our body. With the suicides of Kate and Anthony it brought up feelings of when I was in such despair and had considered the same demise...often. (sic)”

The ‘Girls Trip’ star spent years “healing” her mental health, and says she has “the deepest gratitude” that she “pulled through” her tough times, even though keeping herself balanced is still a “daily practice” for her.

She continued: “In the years I spent towards my healing, many moons ago, I realized the mind and heart can be extremely delicate without the foundation of a formidable spirit. What I eat, what I watch on TV, what music I listen to, how I care for my body, my spiritual practice, what people I surround myself with, the amount of stress I allow and so on... either contribute to or deteriorate my mental health. Mental health is a daily practice for me. It’s a practice of deep self-love. May Kate and Anthony Rest In Peace. Many may not understand... but I do, and this morning I have the deepest gratitude that I pulled through. (sic)”

Jada’s candid comments come after her teenage daughter Willow recently confessed during an episode of Jada’s Facebook Watch show ‘Red Table Talk’ that she used to self-harm during the height of her fame at the age of 10, when her single ‘Whip My Hair’ was released.

She said: "I would have to say I honestly feel like I lost my sanity at one point. It was after that whole 'Whip My Hair' thing, and I had just stopped doing singing lessons and I was kind of just in this gray area of 'Who am I? Do I have a purpose? Is there anything I can do besides this?'

"After the tour and the promotion and all of that ... they wanted me to finish my album. And I was like, 'I'm not gonna do that.' After all of that kind of settled down, and it was, like, a lull, I was listening to a lot of dark music and it was just so crazy, and I was just plunged into this black hole and I was, like, cutting myself and doing crazy things... I honestly felt like I was experiencing so much emotional pain but my physical circumstances weren't reflecting that."